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7.27.2009

This spring I decided it was high time for me to learn to crochet, when in my LYS, Knitting Etc, I saw my friend Ashley's recently finished crochet top she was getting ready to teach a class on and I LOVED it. I wanted to sign up for the class, but my schedule said "no", so I asked her to teach me the basic's instead. I already knew how to chain, so it was just learning to join into the rnd, not so different from knitting, and single crochet through both loops on the chain, or one loop on the chain. It was a 6 minute lesson and I was off and crocheting. The pattern is from Contemporary Crochet. I made it in Cascade Yarns Pima Tencel in my new fav color! I've worn this top a ton this summer, above I'm wearing it on the last day of Grassroots with a new necklace I got from Jennifer Feldman earlier that day in the craft area.

This top has inspired me to design a tank for summer that combines crocheting and sewing. I went to school for apparel design and have been itching to use my sewing machine lately. Of course that meant that when I went to NYC with dear friends (Maya's 40th b-day present) to see a free Jonatha Brooke concert last week we had to do some shopping. I've been listening (i.e. singing out loud in the car) to Jonatha non-stop since SQUAM in June, and it was great to see her live and electric!It was a 24 whirlwind trip that included a trip to Purl for fabric (Liberty of London) and Kinokuniya for some books I've been coveting... dangerous fun!I'll keep you posted on the new design.

And, just so you know I am knitting, here's a pic of the mystery blob I am working on for this Fall's Year of Lace Club.

7.13.2009

One of my closest friends, Maya, is a blogger, though I've known her for WAY longer than blogs... We met when our kids were wee ones, Maya can even tell you what my girl was wearing that first day! Our creative mediums are different, but the day to day conundrums we face, from designing to contracts to our computers and sewing machines to photography and styling are the same... it's great to have a buddy right down the road that knows exactly what I am talking about, sometimes even before I say it. Maya graciously offered to interview me on her blog, which feels like cheating, cause really she already knows everything about me... but you don't, so here you go!

Btw, I will be at Grassroots Fest this weekend, I'm the craft coordinator, so I'll be super busy keeping all my crafty crafters happy and trying to not spend all my money on their beautiful wares (and wears). I'm really looking forward to dancing to Toots and the Maytals, Oumou Sangare, Bela Fleck, The Horseflies and more! I also get to celebrate Maya's B-Day with her, the girl get's a insta-party with 4 stages, and 40 bands for her 40th!!!! woohoo! (and there might be cake...)

7.07.2009

We just got back from a long weekend with our dear friends in Baltimore. All we did was bike, eat and laugh (oh, and I knit) it was perfect! My girl took all these pics as I was too busy eating (and feeding her succulents bits of crab), I think she's my new photographer!The dog had so much fun she even posed for a pic...

photography tip: get your black standard poodle to stick her tongue out before taking the pic... you need the contrast or they will just look like a blob of black fur!

7.01.2009

Woot!!!! Our garden and the CSA we joined are starting to CRANK out the good food... all that hard work is giving us a real abundance that will only get better as the summer continues. We used to raise all the veges we ate in the summer, but I got just a wee bit overwhelmed with work and the CSA has really helped us stay in the fresh veges, while supporting our local farmers, and taken the pressure off me. Thankyou Sweetland! Now we just grow what we know we eat tons of, mesclun, microgreens and herbs, what we don't get enough of from the CSA, egglant, peppers, brussel sprouts, and cabbage, and what we like to pick and eat while we are outside... peas, raspberries, cherry tomatoes.

Do you know about Black Caps? I never really got to eat them when I was a kid, but here in upstate NY they are prolific... we keep areas of our yard dedicated to them (i.e. wild!). They are sweet and tart at the same time and do not keep, the answer is to go out and eat them off the bush and be sure to remember to pick just enough for pancakes!

I still can't tell you about what I am knitting. I'm on to new projects but they are ALL secret... I HAVE to start something soon that I can blog about from start to finish, it's frustrating to have to be cagey about what's on my needles... trust me though I AM KNITTING!